Hello, this picture of "Le Pont de la Légende" (The bridge of the legend) in Sauveterre-de-Béarn, a listed village in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques (South-West of France, an hour away from Biarritz or Pau) welcomes you to this blog which gives you information on the French intensive courses I organise in Autevielle, a small village that is 2 km from Sauveterre (see photo).
What you will do during a course:
Discover a new region, the Béarn, and learn or improve your French by spending an enjoyable week-end or week studying and practising in a small group (8 students maximum). The course offers formal tuition in the morning and lets the students choose a follow-up activity for the afternoon. Each day, a grammatical point is introduced or revised followed by exercises to practise then an authentic document (article, photo...) is used to practise written comprehension and oral expression skills. The student(s) will then watch an extract from a TV document to practise their aural comprehension skills.
A 5 day or week-end intensive course ?
The 5-day course offers 24 hours of tuition: 15 hours of formal tuition in the morning and 9 hours of informal practice in enjoyable real-life situations (at a restaurant, at the market…).
As a guiding tip, a student needs between 80 and 100 hours of tuition (depending on his/her ability) to cover a whole level (beginner, intermediate or advanced). Yet, as my groups of students are limited to eight, the students can expect to make faster progress. One to one courses are also available.
Price: 350 euros for the 5-day course (24 hours of tuition)
(The price only covers the course fees so transport, accomodation and restaurants are not included. A minimum of three students is required to open a class).
The 5-day course will run on the following dates:
27th- 31st July (level: beginners)
3rd- 7th August (level: intermediate)
10th-14th August (level: advanced)
17th-21st August (level: beginners)
24th-28th August (level: intermediate)
7th-11th September (level: advanced)
The week-end course offers 16 hours of tuition: 12 hours of formal tuition and 4 hours of practice in real-life situations.
Price: 250 euros for the week-end course (16 hours of tuition).
(The price only covers the course fees so transport, accomodation and restaurants are not included. A minimum of three students is required to open a class).
Please note that the week-end option is ideal for a one-to-one course. Dates are flexible, please contact Steven to choose a convenient date.
The tutor:
Steven Beigbeder ( MA in English, MPhil in French Literature) is an experienced native French tutor who has taught French as a foreign language in London for more than 20 years at University College London's Language Centre, Herstmonceux Castle (the UK branch of Queen's University in Montreal, Canada) and Alliance Française de Londres.
Suggestions for accommodation:
In our house in Autevielle, for a total immersion experience, why not stay in a charming double bedroom with a balcony (one room available, 25 euros per night with breakfast, share of bathroom) ?
In Autevielle, gîte Maison Barbé, 550 euros per week for three rooms, tel: 0033 540677028.
In Sauveterre : 2 km from Autevielle, « La Maison de Navarre », 58 euros a room for two, breakfast : 7 euros. Website : www.lamaisondenavarre.com, Tel. 05 59 38 55 71.
Camping de Sauveterre: website: www.campingdugave.fr.
In Osserain : 2 km from Autevielle, « chambres d'hôtes » at the Gîte Le Péhau, 45 euros a room for two. Website : www.lepehau.com, Tel. 05 59 38 95 32.
In Laàs : « Auberge de la Fontaine », 12 km from Autevielle (website: www.aubergedelafontaine.net, telephone: 05 59 38 20 20): 5 rooms from 50 euros for two.
In Salies-de-Béarn: 11 km from Autevielle, Hôtel Hélios (2 stars)
Site internet : www.golf-salies.com Telephone : 05 59 38 37 59
In Castagnède : 13 km from Autevielle, « La Belle Auberge », 45 euros a room for two, 44 euros half-board, 50 euros full board, breakfast : 7 euros. Tél. 05 59 38 15 28.
For more information on accomodation, you can also check the tourists office's website : www.tourisme-bearn-gaves.com
Contact Steven for more information and a free assessment over the phone :
Tel : 0033 5 59 38 95 15
Email : sbeig@hotmail.com
